The $3,000 Plastic Dog: Why AI Companions are Ethical Bankruptcy
We are outsourcing the heavy, human work of presence to silicone chips and calling it innovation.
By Neil D'Monte, Palmelle Editorial Team · Reviewed by Neil D'Monte · 7 min read · 2026-06-25
A $3,000 robotic dog sits on the kitchen counter, its plastic head tilting with programmed warmth. In Chicago, a daughter opens an app to check her 81-year-old mother’s 'interaction metrics' for the day. This is the new frontier of filial guilt management—a high-tech exit strategy disguised as a breakthrough.
